Ultimatum
by LadyGwenMidas
Summary: We have your mother. We have your husband. We have your child...Bring us Jack. Miracle Day spoilers up to 4x06 Jack/Gwen


Ever since she had met him, she knew her life would never be the same. When he left, she realised that she didn't want it to be. She loved her husband, she loved her daughter, but her life was not normal. She merely had what normal people had. What a selfish idiot to think her past would let her escape! What a fool to think that she would let it. Every time she had been faced with the choice, to choose between Torchwood and her family, she had always compromised. She had split herself in two giving half her heart to Rhys and the other...When he left he had made the choice for her, or so she had thought. When he came back it was clear that a part of her had left with him, but she had to think about her daughter. She couldn't compromise with their lives! Not when he had lived so many.

She willed herself to believe it. That this was right, that it was what _he_ would want, because she couldn't lie to herself. She couldn't justify trading one life for another. But it wasn't just one life...

_We have your mother. We have your husband. We have your child..._Over and over it played in her mind. _Bring us Jack._

It was what he would want..._Hold on to your life, Gwen Cooper._

But then..._We're good together, aren't we. Me and you._

How could she betray him when she was all he had left!

She turned abruptly and ran into the stall behind her, emptying the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl. Once she was finished, she leaned back against the cool tiled wall and tried to pull herself together by taking in copious amounts of air. How could she be so stupid! Leaving her family unprotected to fight for her own idealist notions! Numerous plans began to form in her mind of ways she could warn him. He could help her, together they could devise a plan to save her family! In that moment she wanted nothing more than to run into his arms and hear him promise her that everything would be ok...

_Do not remove the lenses...Or your loved ones will be incinerated._She gasped and fought desperately to hold back her tears as the curser resumed typing.

_Go to him and await further instruction._

_Do you understand? _She nodded her head jerkily and got up off the floor. There was no time for a breakdown now. Once again the choice had been made for her. She knew what she had to do.

As she exited the terminal, cheeks wet and heart racing, she prepared herself to see him for the very last time. It didn't matter whether they both made it out alive or not, after all death was meaningless now. Whether they survived or not, he would never look at her the same again.

xxxxx

"There she is!" Jack practically beamed as she entered the apartment, walking up to her and enveloping her in his arms in a heartfelt embrace.

She held on for longer than she should have, taking in his familiar scent one last time as she buried her head in the crook of his neck. He must have noticed something was off as he gently pushed her back to properly take her in. She tried her best to reflect his enthusiasm, but she sensed that her smiled didn't quite reach her eyes. He looked at her questioningly and she thought idly when was it that he first started being able to size her up with just one glance, and when those same looks began to substitute words. She quickly dodged his searching eyes to greet the others.

"Esther," she nodded politely, "Rex," she acknowledged, decidedly less politely.

"Hey, how's your Dad doing?" Esther asked warily.

"We got him out that's the main thing," she replied stiffly. Thankfully she took the hint not to push any further.

"So are you ready to be filled in?" she opted for instead.

"Not just yet," Jack cut in. "I'd like to have a word with Gwen in private."

Without another thing said, he took her by the arm and led her out of the apartment and up the stairs to the roof access.

"What is it with you and roofs?" she heard herself say spitefully. "Is it the dramatic element or do you just like it because it reminds you that you're invincible?"

He stared at her for a long moment confused as to her outburst and took a few steps away from her. "I'm not invincible anymore, Gwen," he said dejectedly.

All to quickly she remembered the third party witnessing their conversation and walked hastily up to him, placing her hand on his arm to calm him before he spilled anymore secrets. But surely they knew that. Why else would they want him so badly?

"Shh, shh, I'm sorry I didn't mean that," she tried hushing him gently.

The next thing he said however, made her realise that despite all his fussing over cuts and bruises, that this wasn't a fact he was broken up about.

"For the first time since we met, I finally have something to offer you."

"What are you talking about, Jack?" she asked guardedly, moving to take a step back, but he grabbed her arms and pulled her against him almost desperately.

"Life, mortality, us!" he said passionately. She's about to tell him that he's crazy when he says, "I never understood until now...being mortal, everything feels so urgent! Knowing I can die...and I don't want to waste another second that I have with you." His mouth crashed into hers in a kiss so fierce in its passion that all imminent thoughts simply melted away in the heat of his embrace. Who knows how long they stood in each others arms, tasting and savouring...probably a second for each time they had thought about what it would feel like to give in to each other, and it felt incredible.

It felt right, too right…

As if sensing that the moment was indeed too good to be true, Gwen reluctantly pulled away. The second that she opened her eyes, she gasped at the new message that lay within them.

_It's time._

**And yep I'm going to leave it there:P**


End file.
